Netflix begins 4K streams

[Smokey]

Netflix confirmed Sunday that it has begun streaming 4K versions of its original series "House of Cards," as well as "some nature documentaries."

Netflix's 4K streams are only viewable on 2014 4K TVs that include a built-in H.265/HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) decoder. People who invested in a 2013 4K TV cannot view the streams. The same goes for upcoming 4K streams from Amazon, Comcast, Fox, and others, which will roll out later this year.

HDTVtest of UK reviewed the 4k stream delivered at 15.6 Mbps, and they had mixed review. They said that UHD feed still showed signs of compression, and the test concluded "we still think that reference-level 1080p Blu-ray transfers like 'Oblivion' look cleaner especially during busier sequences."

On the other hand, HDTVTest says it looked appreciably better than Netflix's previous best, its so-called SuperHD.

Netflix 4K Streaming (House of Cards Season 2) Has Gone Live

[Feanor]

Whoa! Isn't excess marvellous?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Okay, let's keep this real. What really sets 4K apart from 1080p is the color gamut. It certainly is not resolution alone, as I have lived with a Sony 4K video projector in my studio for 2 years now. While images are a bit sharper in 4K, there is nothing more than that expressed upon viewing the picture. Panasonic (and several independent test) has confirmed this, hence why I believe that the wider color gamut MUST be included in any new standard for video transmission.

[blackraven]

Sir T, I agree that the colors are phenomenal on 4K. Combined with the increase in detail, the pictures are awesome. I would love to have a 4K TV. Every time I see one I am blown away. I also like the picture of OLED's. I got to see one at a store when I was in Albuquerque NM. Unfortunately the picture was not calibrated the best but you could see that it would be great.

I will probably spring for a 4K TV in 3-4 years when the price comes down. They would need to be in the $2K range for me.